INTERVIEW WITH A SALESMAN

USED CAR SALESMAN

Interviewing Your Used Car Salesman

When you are purchasing a used car, you really are at the mercy of the person selling the vehicle. That means that you have to be willing to make sure that they are giving you a legitimate deal, and that you are not being ripped off. The only way that you are going to accomplish this is to interview the person selling the vehicle. Don't be afraid to ask the questions that come to mind (about the vehicle, obviously don't ask a bunch of personal questions or you might creep them out ).

You should really think twice if the person you are talking to seems like they are on edge, or that they are not being completely honest with you. Even if someone seems pretty genuine, it is helpful to toss out some difficult questions to get them thinking, and to catch them off guard. If you are able to ask something they aren't expecting, you may find out information that they don't mean to let you in on, and that is how you avoid the bad deals and uncover what they are hiding.

Questions to Ask Him

Stick to this list of questions and you should find out whether or not you can trust the person selling the vehicle, which is one of the most important things that you can learn when you are buying a car from someone that you really don't know.

Why Are You Selling?

The first thing you should ask when you meet the person is why are they selling the vehicle. Always look them in the eye when they are talking about why they are letting go of the car, and ask follow up questions if anything comes to mind. You will be amazed at how much information this simple question often brings up for you.

What is Wrong with it?

Be straightforward and ask them if there is anything wrong with the car at all that they can think of. You should be suspicious if they tell you that nothing is wrong with the vehicle at all, if it is at least a few years old. There is bound to be at least a few minor problems with most vehicles. You should also be worried if they have a really hard time coming up with an answer to give you for this question. That means they are nervous, and probably trying to think of what to say to you.

Guess What? If an owner is trying to think of what to say to you, he isn't telling you the truth.

Have You Ever Had Major Problems?

This question really puts the owner on the spot because he isn't expecting you to ask about anything other than what is currently wrong with the vehicle. By finding out what was wrong with it in the past, you can learn about how it was cared for, you can also learn important information about which parts have been changed, and which may need to be inspected more closely.

Have You Been in Any Major Accidents?

If the car has been rolled down a hill sideways you need to know about it. Even though it may look like it is running great on the outside, that doesn't mean that the frame isn't weakened in 56 different spots because of a terrible string of accidents that they have been through. You would be amazed at what an experienced body shop can accomplish, with even some of the worst vehicles out there.

Are You the Only Owner?

By finding out if they are the only ones in the cars past you will know whether or not there is more information that you have to dig up somewhere. Past owners could have been in accidents, they could have neglected to change the oil as well. For all you know the current owner bought the car 3 months ago and is looking to get rid of it before he has to deal with the many problems that he knows are inevitable. Protect yourself and find out if the seller is hiding something.

This short list of questions is a good place to start when you are looking over a vehicle. After you have asked all of these, you should have a good idea about whether or not you are interested in buying the vehicle at all. Anyone who is dodging questions shouldn't be trusted because they are lying to you or avoiding an important issue. If you decide that you are interested in a vehicle you should get the history report for it to verify whether or not they were telling you the truth when you questioned them.

When you take the time to get to know the seller you learn a great deal more about the vehicle than you ever would, by simply inspecting it yourself. Use the investigative approach to buying a car and you will be amazed at all of the interesting information that you can uncover, and even horrified in some instances (I once had a woman tell me that her car just came out of a horrible flood, which wasn't listed in the ad, I might add.)